subject: Does Snoring Keep You Up At Night? Seek Treatment By Understanding Sleep Apnea And Snoring [print this page] You don't have to put up with sleepless nights that leave you exhausted during the day. Sleep apnea occurs when you stop breathing during periods of sleep. The cessation of breathing usually occurs because of a blockage in the airway. The relaxed muscles at the back of the throat cause the throat to close. This stops breathing, typically from 20 seconds to up to 3 minutes. Most sleep apnea sufferers experience this cycle of snoring, apnea and awakening five or more times a night. As sleep apnea and snoring have been linked to high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and heart disease, it is extremely important to understand if you have sleep apnea, and why you are experiencing sleepless nights.
What are the Causes of Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea occurs when muscles in the back of your throat relax. These muscles support the soft palate, the triangular piece of tissue hanging from the soft palate, the tonsils and the tongue. When the muscles relax, your airway narrows or closes as you breathe in, and breathing momentarily stops. This may lower the level of oxygen in your blood. Your brain senses this inability to breathe and briefly rouses you from sleep so you can reopen your airway. This awakening is usually so brief you don't remember it.
You can awaken with a transient shortness of breath that corrects itself quickly, within one or two deep breaths. You may make a snorting, choking, or gasping sound and this process can repeat itself five to 30 times or more each hour, all night long. These disruptions impair your ability to reach the desired deep, restful phases of sleep, and you'll probably feel sleepy during your waking hours.
What About Snoring?
The noisy sounds of snoring occur when there is an obstruction to the free flow of air through the passages at the back of your mouth and nose. This area is the collapsible part of the airway where the tongue and upper throat meet the soft palate and uvula. Snoring occurs when these structures strike each other and vibrate during breathing while you are sleeping. If you child snores, this could be a sign that there is a problem with the tonsils and adenoids. Additionally, if you child is a chronic snorer, your ENT in Boise should examine him or her, as a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy may be needed to return them to full health.
Simple Techniques Help to Bring Relief
Some simple techniques for alleviating mild apnea are to sleep on your sides and not your back. Avoid alcohol or sedatives before bedtime, as well. In mild cases, treatment may consist of nasal decongestants, inhaled steroid preparations or oral mouth devices that force the jaw forward to prevent the tongue from falling back and constricting the throat. More aggressive treatment depends on the diagnosis. An examination will reveal if nasal allergy, infection, deformity, or tonsils and adenoids cause your snoring.
If surgery is too risky or unwanted, the patient may sleep every night with a nasal mask that delivers air pressure to the throat. In severe cases, surgery may be called for to open the airway, including a tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy or deviated septum repair. A sleep study, which can now be done at home, in your own bed, can be done to determine if you have sleep apnea.
If you suffer from debilitating snoring or think you may have sleep apnea, contact your Ear, Nose and Throat doctor in Boise, Nampa and Meridian to schedule an appointment for further diagnosis and treatment.
